Gas separation is important in many industries and can typically be accomplished by flowing a mixture of gases over an adsorbent of an adsorbent contactor that preferentially adsorbs more readily adsorbed components relative to less readily adsorbed components of the mixture. One of the more important types of gas separation technology is swing adsorption.
Conventional swing adsorption processes typically take place in a cylindrical vessel containing a plurality of adsorbent beds. Some swing adsorption processes are performed in a plurality of adsorbent beds, each within its own vessel. Such designs may be useful when gas processing requires only small diameter beds or when a large equipment footprint is available. However, such designs are generally not desirable for large scale operations that require large diameter adsorbent beds or where a small footprint is critical, such as on off-shore platforms or in arctic or desert environments. Therefore, there is a need in the art for swing adsorption apparatus that can be used for large scale gas separations and which occupy a small footprint.